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National Under 16 Tournament Campaign

Wellington Hockey is excited to introduce a new level of representative hockey with the U16 National Hockey Tournament, providing emerging athletes with the opportunity to represent Wellington and compete on the national stage.

 

The tournament is open to players who are aged 14 or under 16 as of 1 January 2026, creating a performance pathway for athletes ready to take the next step in their hockey development. Selected teams will travel to the national tournaments, with the boys’ tournament taking place in Auckland and the girls’ tournament in Christchurch from 3–5 October 2026.

 

The selection process will be comprehensive, giving athletes every opportunity to showcase their abilities. Trials will include fitness testing, skill-based sessions, small-sided games, and full-field match play, ensuring selectors can identify players who can perform across all aspects of the modern game. 

Please note: U16 players who meet the age criteria for U18’s may only play either U16s or U18s, NOT both.

Trial Dates

  • Trial 1: Sunday 21 June, 9:30am – 11:30am

  • Trial 2: Sunday 28 June, 9:30am – 11:30am

  • Trial 3: Wednesday 1 July (TBC)

  • Trial 4: Wednesday 22 July (Invite-only extended squad session – TBC)

All trials are to be held at the National Hockey Stadium.

Parent Information Session

8th June 2026 | 6.00pm

The Performance and Pathways Manager will host an online parent information session outlining the new U16 National Tournament structure and the opportunities available for athletes within the Under 16 pathway.

To receive a meeting invite, please complete the online form below. A meeting link will be emailed to registered participants prior to the session.

U16 July Tournament

15-18 July 2024 – Gallagher Hockey Centre in Hamilton

Why

Intention of the Tournament

A competitive quad series aiming to expose U16 (Y11 / 2008) players to a higher quality standard of hockey whilst playing amongst their peers. Providing players with exposure to tournament hockey and to smoothen the transition to U18’s tournament in one or two years’ time. Expose players to a safe environment that allows them to learn how to deal with pressure and extended opportunities to demonstrate leadership.

We believe there is a serious demand amongst 16 year old players to be exposed to

competitive hockey games.

We believe not all 16 year olds are physically, cognitively, technically or tactically ready to

compete in the U18 National Tournament and we believe their development will benefit from a

more levelled playing field competing against their peers.

2024 U16 Team Selection

Congratulations to all players selected into their respective teams for the 2024 Under 16 Invitational Tournament.

  • Liam Bateson

    Jacob Eade

    Sachin Govind

    Joshua Hamlyn

    Jasper Khoo

    Thomas Merwood

    Sammy Scott

    Boston Spray

    Liam Taylor

    Hudson Todd

    Thomas Agate

    Laith Ismail

    Tommy Hanna

    Leon Olsen

    Torben Whittle

    Guy Lester

    Head Coach Will Collins 

    Assistant Coach Matt Frater 

    Manager Darrell Todd 

  • Alysha McGrath

    Yasmin Rodda

    Ruby Easton-Smith

    Elizabeth MacAvoy

    Jayna Parag

    Chloe Sherriff

    Maia Mckee

    Iris Edwards

    Lexi Manning

    Xanthe Stewart

    Juno Holden

    Ariella Hannan

    Milla Ehlert

    Scarlett Bowmar

    Emily Frater

    Samantha Te Awhe

    Head Coach Stephanie Weller 

    Assistant Coach Kat Winter 

    Manager Debbie Te Awhe 

Making Great Hockey Happen
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